Racism in America – What We Know About It? The term “Racism” has taken the world by storm. The recent incident of the cruel arrest of George Perry Floyd led to one of the biggest protests in history. But why did this single incident churned the hearts of millions? Well, the answer dates back to the colonial era. Yes, racism is an ancient evil that has taken the lives of thousand George Flyods, if not millions. Nowadays, we scroll our Facebook or Twitter feeds and see thousands of videos where innocent American civilians are subjected to this torture. But, what exactly is racism? Racism is an immoral practice or ostracism of people of color by the privileged white majority. This practice allowed the white Americans to enjoy legal and social sanctity while denying these rights and confining the people of color to slavery and oppression. Over the years, White European Americans who supported slavery tried to justify their disgraceful malpractices by giving hollow scientific theories about white supremacy and black inferiority. How far have we come? The answer to that question is surely nerve-wracking. With the number of crimes against race gradually increasing, we have surely not come very far. There is no difference. In comparison to the situations a few hundred years ago, it has only gotten worse. Did they really get the liberty they deserved? Or were they given some civil rights just to be taken away by the various racial profiling that goes on to this very date? America was constructed on the hallmarks of freedom, opportunity, and prosperity. But those words seem to be reserved for the white privileged Americans while subjecting the black Americans to exclusion and police brutality. How does it affect Black citizens? Structural racism stretches way beyond oppression. In the modern world, racism has a far more devastating effect on the black citizens residing in America. Due to racial injustice in their day-to-long lives, it has been observed that it has affected their mental health. They are much more vulnerable to stress and other mental health issues. A research by the National Center for Educational Statistics shows that in recent years, only 15% of black students enrolled in schools. Out of which 35% were suspended or expelled. Upon being questioned, the schools gave a stereotypical answer stating that they were held back on the grounds of severe misconduct. Moreover, another survey shows that 20.2% of the total US students have experienced racial bullying once in their lifetime. This has also resulted in deteriorating mental health conditions in students. If we shed light upon more practical examples, it has been seen that 88% of police arrests or stops in New York city in 2019 were associated with black or latino population. In addition to this, drug cartels in America have been a very long issue. People, irrespective of color or race, have been associated with drug trafficking. But it is apparent in recent studies that the majority of black people are six times more likely to be arrested. As per key findings from the United States Sentencing Commission, a black US citizen receives 19.1% more lengthy sentences than the privileged white population. Racism in America seems to be an endless and barbaric loop. Even in the corporate world, the most unemployed population comes from black people. Even if they manage to get a job, they earn 25% less than a regular white US citizen. With such injustice existing at every layer of the social construct, they are forced to resort to criminal activities, which have led to a major prejudice that “ all black people are criminals”. Coming to the most crucial factor, every US citizen has a right to receive quality healthcare. However, studies show that only 40% of the black population received good healthcare as compared to their white counterparts. It has been also seen in a survey that black women experience death during parturition three or four times more than the white female population. Conclusion Racism or xenophobia is a deep-rooted problem that is prevalent in every social construct. It has been passed down to us from hundreds of years ago. How does it stop? It stops with you. Racial violence is mostly driven due to the lack of knowledge and acceptance. There is more than what meets the eye.
It should be evident that racial injustice or oppression will only result in riots and will communal unrest. Every individual has a right to live freely and have the same opportunities as their counterparts. Be the change before thousands of our brothers and sisters are tortured for our twisted beliefs.
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